Jason Kidd might make his debut as a coach at the Brooklyn Nets opener after all: when he appears in court Tuesday for a DWI arrest made exactly one year earlier, he’ll accept responsibility for the accident after striking a plea deal that could see the charges wiped from his record, per the New York Daily News.
Jason Kidd’s plea deal on DWI might help him avoid suspension
Jason Kidd will tell driving-age New York kids about the dangers of drinking and driving as part of a plea settlement for his 2012 DWI case, an agreement that could keep him from missing the Nets’ season opener.
According to his lawyer, Kidd has agreed to something called an interim plea with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. He’s committed to a deal that will see him make several appearances in schools discussing the dangers of drinking and driving, which could be taped and used as public service announcements. If he completes those contingencies, he will leave the court after his October sentencing hearing without any further punishment.
This is important from a basketball perspective because the crime Kidd will own up to committing could have put a damper on the beginning of his coaching career. When the Nets made the decision to bring in the future Hall-of-Fame point guard as their head coach less than two months after his last game with the New York Knicks, they probably expected him to be able to coach the team’s season opener. But as the Daily News wrote last week, the NBA has a history of suspending those who commit DWI’s, whether they be coaches, players, or even owners. That might have seen Kidd start the season -- and his coaching career -- off the sidelines, waiting several games into the year before taking over the reins. However, if this plea deal is carried out, it won’t count as a guilty verdict, and Kidd might avoid discipline from the NBA.
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